


tried to reach beyond the emptiness (but neither one knew how)

by lovelyflowersinherhair



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:33:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21948877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelyflowersinherhair/pseuds/lovelyflowersinherhair
Summary: “Juggie was wondering if it was only for him, or if the invitation was for him and his family, and I didn’t want to tell him yes and have you be mad at me.”
Relationships: Alice Cooper/FP Jones II
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25
Collections: Home for the HoliDale





	tried to reach beyond the emptiness (but neither one knew how)

The Coopers’ house was outfitted to the nines for the holidays, and Betty and Polly looked impressively festive, but Alice had to admit that she had very little desire to do much more than go through the motions of the holiday festivities. Her Christmas cheer had been misplaced roughly around the time that Harold had seen fit to take his leave and serve her with papers (and move to Toledo, of all the places), leaving her with a house she could barely stand, and two children who didn’t understand why they hadn’t been enough for their father, and a paper that her former in-laws had been  _ appalled _ that she now owned, but she forced herself to decorate the house and host the neighborhood Christmas party, despite the fact that celebrating was the  _ last _ thing that she wanted to do. 

She hadn’t had the heart to disappoint Betty and Polly more than they’d already been, however, and had decided to just suck it up and deal with the fact that she would have to play the role of Harold’s happy hostess, except, well, without Harold. 

“Are you sure that it’s okay that I invited Juggie?” Betty asked, and Alice glanced down from the light fixture that she was polishing (again) to squint at her youngest. “I mean, I know that Daddy wouldn’t let me--”

“Your father left, remember? He doesn’t get a say in what we do anymore. He lost that right when he had the nerve to divorce me and move to Toledo.” She drew in a breath. “I’ve already told you that you can invite Jughead, Elizabeth.”   
  


“I know that you told me I could,” Betty said. “And I did! I gave him the invitation myself. It’s just…” She trailed off. 

Alice bit back the sigh that threatened to erupt at Betty’s lack of getting to the point, and she focused her gaze on the chandelier in an attempt not to overreact. 

“What are you getting at?” Alice questioned. “Well, Elizabeth? Spit it out.” 

“Juggie was wondering if it was  _ only _ for him, or if the invitation was for him  _ and _ his family, and I didn’t want to tell him yes and have you be mad at me.”

“I don’t want Gladys Jones in my house,” she told her, her tone impressively neutral. “That woman is a disgrace to society, Elizabeth. She would be rifling through my prescriptions and stealing them for herself, and to sell on the black market.” Alice’s lips pursed. “I don’t approve of--”

“Jughead said she left,” Betty said, successfully interrupting Alice mid-sentence. “She left when Daddy did,” she continued. “It’s just him and his dad, and little Jellybean.” 

“And you want me to open my home to them, Elizabeth?” 

Betty nodded. “Please, Mom?” 

“Elizabeth, I--”

“It’s Christmas,” Betty pleaded. “Mr. Jones doesn’t think you want him and Jellybean there.” 

Alice truthfully didn’t. Well. That wasn’t entirely true. She didn’t want FP there. Jellybean was more than welcomed. She didn’t enjoy the feelings of guilt that had enveloped her at the thought of not inviting them both, however, especially when Betty stared up at her with sad eyes. 

“I will...speak to him,” Alice said. “I’ll go now.”

“You will?” Betty demanded, her eyes wide. “But you’re dusting.”

“Like you said, Elizabeth,” she told her. “It’s Christmas.” 

  
  


* * *

  
  


In contrast to the Cooper house, the Joneses house was not decked out in Christmas finery, though a quick glance through the windows revealed there had been a token attempt at decorating a Christmas tree, and Alice tried not to make her presence obvious to FP’s neighbors. Though FP technically lived on the Northside of town, it was only just, and she really didn’t want to get robbed while attempting to convince him that she was sincere in her invitation. 

She supposed that it wasn’t a lie. 

Alice didn’t want FP there any less than she wanted  _ any _ of the guests to be there. 

Nonetheless, she plastered on a bright smile as she rang the doorbell, and waited for his response. 

“What are you doing here?” FP demanded, his voice hoarse, and Alice wondered if she’d woken him up. “I told the boy, I ain’t going.” 

Alice raised a brow. “Aren’t going where?” 

“Oh, don’t pull that with me,” he told her. “The boy told me all about your big, fancy, Christmas party. How Betty begged you to invite him for years, and that now that your old man’s run off with my old lady, you’ve decided to pity me and--”   
  


“What are you talking about?” Alice felt that she was distinctly being kept in the dark, and it wasn’t a feeling she liked. “What do you mean, ran off together?”

FP scoffed. “Don’t tell me you didn’t know,” he said. “You didn’t know that Hal and Gladys ran off together?” 

“No, FP, I didn’t,” she informed him. “I don’t find you very amusing.” 

“I’m not kidding,” he told her. “Didn’t you wonder why he moved to Toledo?”

Alice rolled her eyes. “Trust me, FP. That is the  _ least _ of the things Harold does that makes me wonder. I didn’t even know Gladys was gone until Elizabeth told me today.” She sighed. “Come to the party. Bring Jellybean. I want you to.” 

“You--yeah, okay, Alice,” he said, and he shrugged his shoulders. “You want to come in? Meet the baby?” 

“You want me to meet her?” 

He scrubbed at his beard. “Yeah, you know, if you want.” 

* * *

  
  


Jellybean had been content to toddle around Alice’s living room, and Alice had been equally content to watch the little one, giving FP a bit of a break while she took a break from glooming up the entire party. There was little need to subject the girl to whatever it was that he and Frederick were discussing, not when she was content to explore the contents of Alice’s home. 

“Up,” Jellybean demanded, and Alice felt her tug on the hem of her skirt. “Jelly up.” 

“Well, okay,” she told her, and she carefully hoisted the child into her arms, and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Do you like the Christmas tree, Jellybean?” 

“Uh huh,” she chirped. “It pwetty.” 

“Elizabeth and her sister helped me decorate,” she told her. “They worked hard on it.” 

Jelly squealed. “Pwetty twee.” The toddler clapped her hands, before her gaze lingered at the other entrance to the living room. “Dada! My Dada!” 

FP had come back into the house, and was indeed standing there, leaning against the door frame. He offered her and Jellybean a lazy wave. 

“You want to go see him?” Alice offered. “Jelly?”

“Go see my dada,” she confirmed. “You bring me.” 

Alice thought this was a perfectly sound idea, mainly so that Jellybean wouldn’t get her hands on the martini that she’d placed on the ground in order to pick her up in the first place, and she crossed the room to where FP stood, Jellybean’s eyes brightening more and more the closer they got. She heard the giggles of children in the background, but paid them no mind. 

“Here we are,” she said. “Here’s daddy.” 

“Hey, Bean,” FP offered. “You havin’ a good time?” 

“Best time,” she gushed. “Allie upped me!”

FP chuckled. “I see that.” 

“Are you gonna kiss her?” Polly demanded. 

Alice leveled a glare at her elder daughter. “I beg your pardon?”    
  


“You’re standing under the mistletoe,” she pointed out. “The two of you have to kiss.” 

Alice (who definitely had not put up mistletoe, as she found the visuals of her guests playing tonsil hockey to be absolutely unappealing) scowled up at the offending plant. 

“I will be doing no such thing,” she told her. “Where did this even come from?” 

“What, Al? You don’t want to kiss me?” FP drawled, his grin mischievous. “Why not? It’s Christmas.”

“I--” 

“You want Allie to kiss you?” He asked Jellybean, who was eying the mistletoe with wonder. “Jelly?” 

“No, kissy kiss Daddy,” she said. 

He smirked. “You heard the girl.” 


End file.
